Abhanga 432

This abhang names the Vāsudeva-singer's-call register:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

The opening abhang of the Vāsudeva-form / Vāsudeva-songs — a Marāṭhī folk-singer-mendicant tradition where the Vāsudeva (a wandering devotee who comes singing at dawn) calls people to wake and give dāna. This is the first of 6 Vāsudeva abhangs (cf. ॥६॥ at end of 0434). Six claims:

1. राम राम दोनी अक्षरें — सुलभ आणि सोपारें — जागा मागिले पाहारें — सेवटिचें गोड तें चि खरें — Rāma Rāma — two akṣaras — sulabha and sopā — wake at the last-watch — end-sweet alone true. The opening-Vāsudeva-call: Rāma Rāma — just two letters, easy and simple; wake at the last-watch (predawn); the end-sweet (= the end-name on the lips at death) is alone true. (The Vāsudeva traditionally walks the streets at dawn.)

2. राम कृष्ण वासुदेवा — जाणवी जनासि — वाजवी चिपळिया — टाळ घागर्‍याघोषें — Rāma Krishna Vāsudeva — tell the jana — play cipaḷiyā, ṭāḷa, ghāgaryā-ghōṣa. The form-of-the-Vāsudeva-singer: call out Rāma Krishna Vāsudeva; cipaḷiyā (small cymbals), ṭāḷa (large cymbals), ghāgaryā-ghōṣa (jingle-bells / anklet-sound). Public-vocation*.

3. गाय वासुदेव वासुदेवा — भिन्न नाहीं आणिका नांवा — दान जाणोनियां करीं आवा — न ठेवीं उरीं कांहीं ठेवा — sing Vāsudeva-Vāsudeva — no separate name — give dāna knowing — don't keep ṭhēvā in remainder. The no-separate-name claim: sing Vāsudeva; no name separate from another (= all names are Vāsudeva-names); give dāna-knowingly; don't keep anything in remainder*.

4. एक वेळा जाणविती — धरूनियां राहा चित्तीं — नेघें भार सांडीं कामा हातीं — नीज घेउनि फिरती — once told, hold in citta — don't take bhāra, drop kāma in hand — sleep-take and turn. The minimum-instruction: (the Vāsudeva) tells once; hold (the call) in citta; don't take (his) burden, drop kāma (work) in his hand (= give him alms / let him receive); (he) takes sleep (the night-rest) and turns back. Once-told, alms-given, the Vāsudeva moves on.

5. सुपात्रीं सर्व भाव — मी तों सर्व वासुदेव — जाणती कृपाळु संत महानुभाव — जया भिन्न भेद नाहीं ठाव — pure-vessel sarva-bhāva — I am sarva-Vāsudeva — kind saints, mahānubhāvas know — no bhinna-bhēda place. The Vāsudeva-Self-claim: (in the) pure-vessel — sarva-bhāva (all-bhāva); I myself am sarva-Vāsudeva (all-pervading-Vāsudeva); kind saints, mahānubhāvas know — for whom there is no bhinna-bhēda place. The Vāsudeva-singer claims to be Vāsudeva himself; non-dual-claim.

6. तुका म्हणे शूर दान जीवें उदार — नाहीं वासुदेवी विसर — कीर्ति वाढे चराचर — तया नमस्कार — Tuka says: śūra-dāna, jīvē-udāra — no Vāsudeva-forgetting — kīrti grows in carācara — namaskāra to him. The closing-praise: the śūra-dāna (hero-gift), jīvē-udāra (life-generous); no Vāsudeva-visara (Vāsudeva-forgetting); kīrti grows in carācara (animate-and-inanimate); namaskāra to him. Hero-of-giving honored*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Vāsudeva-singer's-call register:

1. Rāma Rāma — just two letters; easy and simple. Rāma Rāma dōnī akṣarē — sulabha sopā. Bhakti is not complex; the Name is just two letters. Don't make it hard.

2. Wake at the last-watch; the end-sweet is alone true. Jāgā māgilē pahārē — śēvaṭacē gōḍa khārē. The pre-dawn-wake is the bhakti-time; the end-of-life sweet (the Name on dying-lips) is the only true gain. Both daily-and-final wake matter.

3. All names are Vāsudeva-names. Bhinna nāhīm āṇikā nāmā. Don't fragment the Names; all are Vāsudeva**.

4. Pure-vessel sarva-bhāva; I am sarva-Vāsudeva*. Supātrīm sarva-bhāva — mī sarva-Vāsudeva. In the pure-vessel-with-all-bhāva, the Vāsudeva-singer reveals himself as Vāsudeva. The bhakta-deva non-dual-truth*.

5. Saints know — no bhinna-bhēda* place. Bhinna-bhēda nāhīm ṭhāva. The saints know there is no place of separation/division. Don't divide*.

6. Be śūra-dāna, jīvē-udāra; no Vāsudeva-forgetting*. Śūra-dāna jīvē-udāra — Vāsudeva-visara. Be hero-in-giving and life-generous, without forgetting Vāsudeva. Combine generosity and remembrance*.

For today: the Name is just two letters; wake at the last-watch and the death-watch; all names are Vāsudeva; the pure-vessel reveals Vāsudeva-as-self; no bhinna-bhēda; be śūra-dāna jīvē-udāra without Vāsudeva-forgetting.

This abhang opens the Vāsudeva-form (a folk-singer mendicant-form) — one of Tukaram's-most-rooted folk-bhakti registers. The Vāsudeva-as-self claim is non-dual; the form is folk.

मराठी: ही ओवी Vāsudeva-singer's-call register नाव सांगते:

1. Rāma Rāma — फक्त दोन अक्षरं; sulabha आणि sopā*. राम राम दोनी अक्षरें — सुलभ सोपारें. Bhakti complex नाही; Name फक्त दोन letters. Hard करू नका*.

2. Last-watch ला जागा; end-sweet alone true. जागा मागिले पाहारें — सेवटिचें गोड खरें. Pre-dawn-wake bhakti-time; End-of-life sweet (मरण-ओठांवरचं Name) only true gain. Daily-and-final दोन्ही wake matter.

3. सर्व Names Vāsudeva*-names. भिन्न नाहीं आणिका नामा. Names fragment नका; सर्व Vāsudeva*.

4. Pure-vessel sarva-bhāva; I am sarva-Vāsudeva*. सुपात्रीं सर्व भाव — मी सर्व वासुदेव. Pure-vessel-with-all-bhāva मध्ये Vāsudeva-singer स्वतःला Vāsudeva म्हणून reveal. Bhakta-deva non-dual-truth*.

5. Saints know — no bhinna-bhēda* place. भिन्न-भेद नाहीं ठाव. Saints ला माहीत separation/division चं place नाही. Divide नका*.

6. Śūra-dāna, jīvē-udāra व्हा; no Vāsudeva-forgetting. शूर-दान जीवें-उदार — वासुदेवी विसर. Hero-in-giving आणि life-generous, Vāsudeva न विसरता. Generosity आणि remembrance combine करा*.

आज: Name फक्त दोन letters; Last-watch आणि death-watch ला wake; सर्व names Vāsudeva; Pure-vessel Vāsudeva-as-self reveals; No bhinna-bhēda; Śūra-dāna jīvē-udāra Vāsudeva-न-विसरता.

ही ओवी Vāsudeva-form (folk-singer mendicant-form) open करते — Tukaram च्या most-rooted folk-bhakti registers पैकी एक. Vāsudeva-as-self claim non-dual; form folk.

Where this applies

• Rāma Rāma two-letters; sulabha-sopā. Don't complicate.
• Last-watch wake; end-sweet true. Daily-and-final.
• All names = Vāsudeva. Don't fragment.
• Pure-vessel reveals sarva-Vāsudeva. Non-dual.
• No bhinna-bhēda place. Saints know.
• Śūra-dāna jīvē-udāra without Vāsudeva-visara. Generosity-with-remembrance.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4555
• Abhanga 4532
• Abhanga 4562
• Abhanga 4563